


Alstroemeria

by szczepter



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Birthday Presents, Fluff and Angst, Language of Flowers, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26439583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/szczepter/pseuds/szczepter
Summary: It’s the anniversary of the king’s birth and Enkidu is nowhere to be found.
Relationships: Enkidu | False Lancer/Gilgamesh | Archer, Enkidu | False Lancer/Gilgamesh | Caster, Enkidu/Gilgamesh
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	Alstroemeria

**Author's Note:**

> Gilfest catalyst 🙏 Please come AUO
> 
> EDIT: AUO CAME 😭 HE WANTED TO BE WITH ENKIDU

The festivities started a good week before the actual day of celebration. Every house, even the poorest one had been cleaned out and decorated. Smaller and bigger feasts were thrown each evening for the common people. Dances and songs were echoing throughout the streets of Uruk along with merry laughter and wishes of good fortune.

The anniversary of the King’s birth was a national holiday.

The ziggurat was also in a frenzy. Servants and cooks doubled and tripled to prepare the greatest feast the city has ever seen.

“Make sure the halls are all adorned in gold and crimson.” Ninsun ordered and dismissed the servants who hastily retreated when she turned to the head cook of the palace kitchens giving him new instructions.

He bowed and retreated quietly to his domain.

“Mother.”

Ninsun turned when she heard the voice and smiled.

“Your highness.” She bowed before her son, beautifully clad in gold and cream white, sapphires adorning his ears.

He kissed her cheeks in a greeting.

“Thousand blessings to you my son. How are you on this day?”

“I am well mother.” Gilgamesh said. “One can only feel well when the whole city is celebrating his birth.”

The small, arrogant smile dropped from the King’s face suddenly.

“Mother, have you seen Enkidu?”

“I have not.” She replied as they started walking through the golden halls. “Since morning. Have you?”

Gilgamesh shook his head.

“They weren’t in their chamber. And skipped breakfast with me.” He frowned. “They never did that.”

Ninsun hummed thoughtfully.

“They are probably attending a private business somewhere.”

That deepened Gilgamesh’s frown, his lower lip almost jutting out dangerously as when he was but a small boy.

“What business? Why didn’t they tell me anything, I would have accompanied them.” He paused. “You didn’t give them some sort of task for the celebration did you Mother?”

“Nonsense my son. I haven’t even managed to speak to them today when the preparations stopped.”

“Very well. It would be unacceptable for my equal and friend to be ordered like a common servant. They are supposed to be by my side and celebrate with me.”

Ninsun bowed her head, partly to hide her smile.

“I wouldn’t dream of asking them such a thing my son.”

Gilgamesh sighed. When Enkidu was not near, he grew ever restless and irritable.

“Very well. I will scold them when they’re back from their so called ‘business’.”

Ninsun nodded.

“I should get back to work Mother.”

“As I do my son. There are still so many preparations to be done for the main celebration at the end of the week.” She touched his cheek in a caress.

“I’ll leave it all to you mother.” He kissed her cheek once more. “Hopefully we will share supper with Enkidu this evening.” He said and retreated to the throne room where Siduri was already waiting with a list of tasks.

* * *

But Enkidu did not return to eat supper with Gilgamesh and his mother this evening.

They did not return the next day and the day after that either.

Gilgamesh grew restless and irritable more than usual, his temper short he made a few of the serving girls cry and the stable boys cower in fear.

Ninsun tried to soothe her son’s foul mood but he only scoffed at her, slapping her hands away and retreating to his chamber to sulk and brood.

* * *

Gilgamesh came out of his room the day before the great feast, ordered to be bathed, fed and clothed in a snippy but less cruel voice.

“My son.” Ninsun greeted Gilgamesh when he entered the dining room for breakfast. “How are you on this fine day before the anniversary of your birth?”

“Terrible.” Gilgamesh grumbled and gestured to the serving girl to fill his silver cup.

Ninsun smiled sympathetically.

“Perhaps good food will improve your mood.”

“It won’t.” The king muttered, disparagingly eying all the special delicacies prepared for breakfast.

Ninsun sighed through her nose. Her motherly patience was running out.

“Leave us.” She ordered the servants and they quietly disappeared in the hallways.

“Tomorrow is the feast my son.”

Gilgamesh shrugged.

“Will you participate…”

“Of course I will, mother.” He scoffed while playing with his cup.

“I see.” Ninsun nodded and stood up.

Before she left the dining chamber she glanced once more at her son.

“Would you like for me to order a search party?”

Gilgamesh looked up at his mother, there was uncertainty in his eyes for a split second before it faded.

“No mother. Please leave me.”

Ninsun bowed even though her kingly son wasn’t looking at her but out into the horizon.

* * *

Gilgamesh’s initial plans for the feast was to drink and eat and laugh with Enkidu by his side. There was a tourney for hand combat which was supposed to end with Gilgamesh and Enkidu settling the score but this time no magic would be permitted, just pure, physical skill and endurance.

As it was Gilgamesh listened to other people laugh and chat, watched other people sing and dance and fight. He himself had no desire in taking part in this foolishness right now as it posed no challenge whatsoever to him.

Enkidu was still not back from their business.

Gilgamesh sighed, utterly bored and restless and reached for the half empty cup of best wine. It was imported specially for this occasion, but for some reason it tasted like mud.

Annoyed with his inability to focus and enjoy the festivities celebrating him he stood up and walked out of the hall where the celebration took place.

Before he managed to leave, he heard his mother toast to his greatness and he snarled under his breath.

And then he stopped dead in his tracks, in front of his chamber when he saw a familiar figure slithering in the corridors.

The king caught up with the figure in three long strides and grabbed its wrist.

“Where have you been!?” He yelled, hoping to sound angry and demanding but it came out too scared and wavery.

Enkidu turned sharply in his hold, eyes huge and shocked for a moment.

“Your highness.” They said and dropped to his knees.

Gilgamesh annoyed grabbed their shoulders and pulled them upright.

“Stop that. _Answer_ my question.”

Enkidu bit their lip.

“Forgive me. I didn’t think it would take me this long.”

“What? What took you so long? You left so suddenly and I was af- I was very _inconvenienced_ by your absence and _very_ bored.” He paused. “I almost set out to search for you. I thought you were injured somewhere or worse…”

Shame and guilt flashed through Enkidu’s face.

“I am once again deeply sorry my King.”

Gilgamesh hated when Enkidu called him that. He only did when he was teasing or feeling bad about something.

“Well, no matter. You are here now so, tell me where have you been.” He said, pushing down the sick feeling of fear and hoping he didn’t come off too relieved.

Enkidu looked at him for a moment before they reached int the sleeve of their loose robe and procured a flower.

A flower.

“A gift.” Enkidu said simply.

Gilgamesh eyed the plant in Enkidu’s hand. It was bright yellow like the gold Gilgamesh loved so much with spots and stripes of crimson inside where its cup made of eight petals was open.

“I’ve never seen it before.”

“I know. That’s why I set out a week ago to search for it.” Enkidu said.

Gilgamesh harrumphed and took the flower from his friend’s delicate hold.

Enkidu’s smile was brighter than the moon.

“I’ll accept it.” Gilgamesh said, twirling the plant in his fingers. “But, don’t think I’ll let you off so easily.”

Enkidu’s smile fell but he schooled their features to look remorseful.

“I understand. I will accept any punishment.”

“Great.” Gilgamesh said and draped an arm around Enkidu’s shoulder and led them to his chamber. “Your punishment is to keep me company as you listen to me list all your faults as I drink for the rest of the evening. Then you may sing your praises to me when I’m done.”

Enkidu blinked and bowed their head, hiding a smile in their loose tresses. Still, laughter was audible in his voice when they spoke.”

“As you wish my king.”

* * *

Gilgamesh’s vast treasury does not only contain weapons or money or jewelry.

There are pieces of art, clothing and beautiful objects, books and tapestries, paintings, sculptures and beautiful coffers and jewel cases.

Among all of these valuables, some more and some less favored by the greedy king of Uruk, there sits one small object, seemingly insignificant in the scale of all the greatness assembled during more than a lifetime.

It is a flower, gold and crimson, kept alive and radiant by the power of magic, alone and graceful in a simple, slim vase.

* * *

“Where did you find it?” Gilgamesh asks when Enkidu passes him the goblet as he lounges on a canopy draped in silks and furs.

The night is young and the festivities are still going on, music and dances and raised voices reaching even the highest rooms of the ziggurat.

The people celebrate their King.

“It’s a secret.” Enkidu says enigmatically and Gilgamesh rolls his eyes while taking a sip. He muses at the taste; sweet and rich now unlike the one in the main chamber where it tasted like mud water.

Enkidu sips on his own goblet, watching the flower sitting calmly in a quickly procured vase.

“It’s very rare that’s why I don’t want anyone else to go look for it.”

“Even me?”

“ _Especially_ you.” Enkidu teases. “You’d just dig up the whole of it and there would be none of it left in the world.

“Probably.” He chuckles.

“It is an appropriate flower for the king’s day of birth though.”

“How so?”

“Well it means good fortune.”

Gilgamesh snorts.

“Flowers don’t mean things.”

Enkidu looks at him over his shoulder.

“No? Not even when they’re given as gifts?”

“Well, yes, then they do. But they don’t have hidden meanings. That’s just ridiculous.”

Enkidu shakes their head with a soft, exasperated sigh.

“They do in other places.”

Gilgamesh doesn’t reply at first.

“Fine. It means good fortune. What else.”

Enkidu looks at him, their smile half fond and half teasing.

“Good fortune from a devoted friend.” He repeats, reclining on the canopy and facing the king. Gilgamesh meanwhile just sips on.

“A very appropriate combination. When I learned of it, I couldn’t help but seek it out knowing the anniversary of your birth was nearing.”

Gilgamesh puts the empty goblet away and studies Enkidu.

“Fool. You don’t have to get me anything. Not for any occasion.”

“Well, no I don’t have to. But I _want_ to. And there is nothing your highness can do about me wanting to do something.”

“That is true.” He says and stands up, offering a hand to his friend. “Come. Let’s go back. I want you to celebrate by my side in front of everyone.

“Yes, your highness.” Enkidu sends him a teasing smirk as he joins his King.

* * *

Sometimes he forgets the flower is still there, sometimes he wishes it would disappear. And sometimes he almost, _almost_ gets rid of it.

But he never does in the end.

* * *

The modern world is different than his era and he would never admit to sometimes feeling out of place in it, covering his discomfort in arrogance and bolstering.

He did have to admit, even if only on front of himself, that life became way easier when Enkidu joined him again at his side.

The surroundings and the circumstances might be different than what was native to him but Enkidu was familiar and will always be familiar to him no matter what.

“Sit.” They said, pushing at his shoulders and settling Gilgamesh behind a table. “And wait.”

The words were accompanied by a soft caress of fingers against his jaw, before Enkidu disappear in the doorway and appeared in a manner of seconds like a ghost.

No. They weren’t a ghost. They were very much _alive_ and present.

Enkidu smiled in that familiar gentle way, which hid the actual depth of his mischief and Gilgamesh squared himself for it already feeling intrigued to what he was having in store.

A simple potted plant was placed on the table in front of him.

It was a cactus.

Gilgamesh raised an eyebrow.

“A gift.” Enkidu said echoing the words from so long ago it brought a painful pang in his chest.

The pink flower at the top was vibrant and beautiful, but Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes at his friend feeling suspicious.

“Why a cactus.” He asked, feeling displeased that he wasn’t able to understand Enkidu’s train of thought.

“Because it’s easy to take care of.”

Gilgamesh didn’t expect _this_ to be the answer.

“And you expect me to _take care_ of it?”

“Of course.” Enkidu said unfazed.

They were right.

But they didn’t need to _know_ that.

Gilgamesh picked up the plant and studied it for a moment.

“I assume this also has a meaning?”

“Well, it means endurance and strength.”

Gilgamesh nodded, satisfied.

“Fine, I’ll accept it. Those seem to be fitting attributes of my person.”

Enkidu didn’t say anything but Gilgamesh noticed the dangerous flash in their eye which sent shivers down his spine. He looked up at Enkidu, eyebrow raised in question.

Enkidu smiled and Gilgamesh then felt something press against his calf under the table. After a moment he realized it was Enkidu’s foot ‘travelling’ upwards.

“There’s also a different meaning to it.” They said casually.

“Such as?” Gil asked, both eyebrows shooting up to his hairline when he felt that foot inch closer and closer.

He grabbed Enkidu’s ankle just before they found their ‘goal’.

“Oh, I think you know already.”

Gilgamesh released Enkidu’s ankle their leg dropping to the floor.

Gilgamesh smirked in his familiar way. 

Enkidu grinned all teeth, a certain sharp edge to their smile.

“And also, it just reminded me of you.”

Gil raised an eyebrow.

They touched one of spikes of the cactus with their finger lightly, but even if they put more pressure into it the flower had no chance of ever hurting them.

Gilgamesh snorted and picked the little pot again to study the plant.

“Is that so.”

**Author's Note:**

> https://www.theflowerdeliverycompany.co.nz/WEDDINGS/Resources/The+Meaning+of+Flowers/Alstroemeria.html  
> https://www.flowermeaning.com/cactus-flower-meaning/
> 
> this is the flower I had in mind https://c8.alamy.com/comp/B7M2C4/close-up-shot-of-some-yellow-and-red-alstroemeria-flowers-B7M2C4.jpg


End file.
